The present invention relates generally to the field of fruit harvesting devices. More particularly, the present invention relates to manual fruit picking apparatus.
Many manual fruit picking devices are either difficult to use or are expensive. One such device, described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,959,949, by Edward J. Wier of Springfield, Mass., is basically a box with a notch and a telescoping pole, which allows for removal of fruit from high parts of a tree. However, the fruit must be pulled from the stem, which is undesirable in that many fruit growers prefer to leave the stem on the fruit. In addition, the force required to remove fruit from a tree by pulling often causes damage to the fruit.
Some devices, such as that shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,098,062 and 4,835,955 by Alfred E. Gaubis of Fruitland Park, Fla. also remove fruit by pulling. Those devices basically comprise a basket with a hingedly attached top which clamps shut over the top of the basket. A similar device is described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,083,418 by Doyal C. Reece of Florence, Ala. That device includes a blade that cuts stems as the collection basket clamps shut. However, that device is undesirable since the blade is located on the collection basket, which increases cutting effort as the basket fills with fruit. In addition, the device is undesirable because it is clumsy and since its moving parts complicate use of the device, increase the cost of manufacture and render the blade generally ineffective for cutting fruit stems. Thus, a user may still be required to pull the fruit from the tree.
Another manual fruit picking device, shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,280,697 by Mark Miller of Vancouver, Wash. is basically a long tube with an opening and a movable blade which cuts fruit stems as fruit is inserted into the opening. The blade is engaged using one's thumb or finger, making it difficult to cut most fruit stems. In addition, while the tube shape is acceptable for picking small fruits such as berries and cherries, it is not desirable for picking larger fruits such as apples and oranges. Increasing the size of this device would add to the user's burden by creating a substantial weight increase.
A light-weight manual fruit removal device is needed which removes fruit by cutting the stem. More particularly, a device is needed which includes an effective cutting mechanism, which substantially reduces damage to fruit as compared to the existing devices which require a user to pull fruit from a tree.